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Kate Middleton, an Average-Looking Princess Who is Not a Beautiful Fashion Icon

Up until this point in my life, I’ve spent very little time thinking about Kate Middleton; then came the engagement announcement earlier this week that sent the world up in a mild tizzy, and now I realize what Kate Middleton represents: social hype.

Almost everything I’m now reading or hearing about Kate Middleton describes her as a “beauty” or a “style icon.” And all I have to say to that is – Really? Kate Middleton? Have the royals sent a secret memo to all the world’s media that Kate Middleton is now to be called “beautiful”?

So let me say first say that I know almost nothing about Kate Middleton. We’ve never sat together for afternoon tea and swapped personal anecdotes – I’ve never even heard the girl speak apart from one short interview on youtube. What I’m talking about are her looks and her looks alone - and more specifically, her looks according to media coverage.

And judging purely on looks, I can say a lot of nice things about Kate. For example, she always looks clean. She’s fit. Her arms and legs are nice and toned. Her hair is always nice. She’s always seems poised.

But what is this nonsense about her being some beautiful style icon?

The nonsense, dear readers, is social hype.

Let’s ignore for a moment the fact that she’s engaged to a real-life, honest-to-god prince, and that in being so, she’s about to become the first princess in England after Princess Diana who doesn’t look about 60-years-old. Stripped of those factors, what is she?

Nice-looking? Maybe. Put-together? Sure. Beautiful? No.

And were she not in the glamorous social position she is now, I think virtually everyone would agree.

Of course, she is by no means ugly, and true, she doesn’t commit egregious fashion atrocities in public. But since when did having basic common sense while dressing become enough to be deemed a fashion icon? Are the standards really so different for soon-to-be-princesses caught in the public eye? I get it - people want to be nice; they want to like her. But let’s be honest here: every single outfit I’ve ever seen her wear has looked like something out of a J. Crew catalogue – very conventional, extremely average, and slightly boring.  Just like her face.

And really, what is so wrong with that? It’s not like she can help having an average-looking face, and she’s already done her best by always dressing inoffensively, keeping slim, and having her hair shiny and pretty all the time. That’s a good job. Why must we insist on sticking the “beautiful” label onto everyone we desire to be beautiful, even when they’re not really? Maybe all the princesses in the magical land of Disney are hot as shit, but in real life, princesses are not always beautiful, princes aren’t always handsome, and brides are not always lovely. There’s nothing wrong with looking average, and wearing average clothes. Most people do.

So I wish the media would stop trying to romanticize Kate Middleton and recapture the nostalgic glory days of Princess Diana - who was actually quite beautiful - by putting false adjectives on someone who’s not.

Instead, why not just focus on other qualities that actually mean something? Kate Middleton, cool and composed. Or Kate Middleton: smart and spunky. Or Kate Middleton: intelligent and witty. And when it comes to the way she looks and dresses, just call it like it is: Kate Middleton, extremely average-looking princess who wears okay-looking stuff.

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